Rectifying device.



c. 0'. RUPRECHT.

RECTIFYING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED NOV.25. 1914.

1,222,803. Patented Apr. 17,1917.

I 'CHABIiES C. BUIRECHT, F MIDWAY, FLORIDA.

RECTIFYING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

' Application'filed November 25, 1914. Serial No. 874,064.

To all whom it may 0mm.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES C. RU-

i PRECHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Midway, in the county of Gadsden and State of Florida, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Rectifying Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to rectifying devices whereby an alternating current may be transformed into a direct current for many of the purposes for which direct current is necessary, such for example as for electrochemical purposes asrequired for electroplating or for charging storage batteries. The objects of the invention are the provision of an improved and simplified type of vibrating armature rectifier whereby the change of the current from alternating to direct may be effected economically and efficiently. 1

The type of rectifier with which this invention is concerned is that wherein a pivoted polarized armature is vibrated in synchronism with the alternations, suitable connections being provided whereby av reversal of the current is obtained. Polarization of the armature is effected either by means of a permanent magnet oran electromagnet (the latter being conveniently energized by the rectified current) while re versals of the armature polarity are effected by securin the same to one pole of a solenoid energized by the current to be rectified, the proper phase relation between the armature and the current being obtained either by means of a condenser or an inductance located in the solenoid circuit.

Generally speaking my invention may be defined as consisting of the combinations, constructions, and arrangement of clrcuits and apparatus, recited in the claims hereto annexed and illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification, which show somewhat (113- grammatic representations of two forms of my invention, the form in Figure 1 comprising a permanent magnet and a condenser in the solenoid circuit, and that in Fig. 2 showing an electromagnet for the constant polarity member, and an inductance 1n the solenoid circuit for maintaining the proper phase relation between the armature move-' ment and the current in the'supply maln. It will be understood of course that there is no essential connection between the form of magnet and the form of regulator, either being usable with either at will.

Describing the parts by reference characters, having particular reference first to Fig. 1, 1 represents the alternator whose current is to be rectified, and from which extends the mains 2, 3. The rectifier itself in this embodiment comprises a 'U-shaped permanent magnet 4 having its poles 5 and 6 maintained in substantially the same plane, and 7 denotes the soft iron core of a solenoid arranged between the poles 5 and 6 of the permanent magnet 4:, one end of this core being preferably magnetically joined with the central or neutral part of the permanent magnet and the other end forming a third pole 8 disposed substantially in the same plane with the poles 5 and 6 and intermediate therebetween. Wound upon this core is a solenoid 9 connected by leads 10 and 11 with the mains 2 and 3 (the particular direction of connection being immaterial since the current is balanced). 12 represents a condenser arranged in the connections 11, the purpose of the same being hereafter explained.

15 denotes a pivotal soft iron armature, which passes closely by the pole 8 of the solenoid core 7, so as to become, in effect, an extension-of this core and to maintain at all times the same polarity as this core. The ends of the armature 15 are provided with contact members 17 18, respectively, ar-

ranged to engage fixed contact members 19 and 20, respectively, and also with resilient members 21, 21 adapted to engage the adjustable stops 22, 23, the latter being for the purpose of preventing hammering and increasing the armature speed. The members 17, 19 and 18, 20 are so arranged that the circuits cannot be closed simultaneously but only alternately.

The mains 2, 3 are also connected to the primary 24: of a transformer, while the fixed contacts 19, 20 are connected to the ends 25, 26, respectively, of the secondary 27. One side of the rectified circuit is indicated at 30 and is connected to the movable contact members 17 and 18, the other side 31 being connected to the middle point 33 of the secondary 27. Any suitable current using devices may be connected between the mains 30, 31, a storage battery 34 being here illus- I naiaaeoa suming the direction of winding the primary and secondary of the transformer to posing E. M. E. will be induced in the secondary 27 butin the opposite direction. In

other words a current tends to be set up,

' from 26 toward 33 and from 33 toward 25.

'in the following manner.

has impressed upon it at all times an 111-: duced magnetization from the permanent Supposing at this instant that the contact 17, 19 is closed, an electrical circuit 1s produced through which current may flow by way of 25, 19, 17, 15, 32, 30, 34: and 31 to the point 33, thus making the main 30 positive and the main 31 negative as indicated. However the contacts 18 and 20 are necessarily spaced apart at this time, wherefore the E. M. E. between the points 26 and 33 will have no efiect. In the next half cycle of the generators operation, an E. M. E

will set up in the. primary of the transformer fromright to left, thereby inducing an opposing electro-motive force in the secondary from 25 to'33 and from 33 to 26. Tn case the armature 15 can be shifted at this time, it is clear that an electrical circuit will be produced by which this induced current may flow from 26 by way of 20, 18, 1 5, 30, 3 i and 31 back to 33, thus completing a flow through the mains 30 and 31 in the same direction as before, the portion of the secondary between 25 and 33 being meanwhile open so that the E. M. E. generated therein will have no current producing efiect.

The shift of connection necessary to efiect this operation is caused by the armature 15 This armature magnet, and during the operation of the apparatus has a second magnetization superinduced-upon it by the action of the solenoid, and under this second magnetization it acts merely as an extension of the solenoid core. Thus assuming the pole 5 of the permanent magnet to be N and the pole 6 S, the adjacent ends of the armature will become S and N respectively, but no material attraction or repulsion should take place in case the armature is properly balanced.

Supposing, however, that at a. given instant the pole 8 of the solenoid becomes N, the

efiect will be to tend to make the armature 15 entirely N, thus more or less completely neutralizing the S pole induced by the permanent magnet adjacent to the pole 5 and augmenting the N polarity adjacent the pole I 6 of the magnet, thus increasing the attraction at the pole 6 and decreasing, or possibly overcoming the attraction at the pole 5. Upon the reversal of the polarity of the solenoid, a reversal of the polarity of the armature will occur with an attraction of the same in the opposite sense. The frame of the permanent magnet forms a pathway for the lines of force generated within the solenoid, these lines of force predominating in the south poleor the north pole of the permanent magnet depending upon the direction of magnetization of the solenoid, and causing an inclination of the armature in the direction of that pole in which'the greater number of lines of force are carried.

Owing to the fact that both branches of the alternating circuit contain inductance, it is impossible that the E. M. F. and current should be in the same phase in either circuit, and it is unlikely that the phase angle between these quantities should be the same in the two circuits Tn addition the mechanical inertia of the armature will tend to cause a lag at this point. Accordmaximum of efficiency and a minimum of sparking can be obtained.

It will be obvious that the E. E. of the rectified current will depend upon the relation between the number of turns in the primary 2 1 and'each half of the secondary 27,

, same as in. Fig. 1, the only difi'erence being that anelectromagnet 4 is substituted for the permanent magnet 4, its winding 40 being connected by leads 41 and 4:2 with the rectified mains 30 and 31, respectively.

Also in this embodiment an inductance 12 is illustrated instead of the condenser 12 in the solenoid circuit, the result beingto produce a lag of the current behind the electro-motive force instead of an advance ahead of the same, which condition may be ternator, so long as a proper phase relation is always obtained between them. Also it will be understood that the present drawings do not pretend to illustrate features of construction but only general combination and arrangement, the detail construction of the several parts being well understood among those skilled in the art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a rectifier, in combination, a fixed 13o magnet of constant polarity, a soft iron armature movably supported adjacent to the poles thereof so as to be acted upon by them equally, a solenoid connected to the alternating mains, a core for said solenoid, one pole of said core being maintained in operative magnetic relation to said magnet and armature whereby the polarity of said armature will tend to follow the polarity of said core, contact members carried by said armature, a direct current system including said contact members, and means connecting said alternating current mains to the said contact members in such wise that the current pulsations therein will flow through said contact members and into said direct current mains in the same direction.

2. In a rectifier, in combination, a magnet having three fixed branches, two of said branches being of opposite but constant,

polarity and the third having a helix thereon connected to the alternating mains, a movable armature having its 'middle portion adjacent to said third branch and its ends opposite said first branches respectively, whereby the polarity of said armature will tend to follow the polarity of said third branch, contact members movable with said armature, direct current mains operatively connected to said contact members, and means connecting said alternating current mains to the said contact members in such wise that the current pulsations therein will flow through said contact members and into said direct current mains in the same direction.

3. A rectifier comprising, in combination, a magnet of constant polarity, a magnet of alternating polarity having one of its poles connected to said first magnet intermediate the poles thereof, a soft iron armature movably mounted adjacent to said second magnet and having its ends projecting adjacent to the poles of said first magnet, contact members movable with said armature, fixed contact members adapted for engagement by said movable contact members, an alternating current main, connections between said main and said alternating magnet, a direct current main connected to said alternating current main through said contact members, said last named connection being arranged so as to cause a reversal of current flow to be effected upon shift in the osition of said contact members, and means or maintaining a predetermined phase relation between the current associated with said alternating magnet and the current associated with said contact members.

4. In a rectifier, in combination, a U- shaped magnet of constant polarity, a solenoid arranged between the arms of said first magnet, a core for said solenoidhaving one end connected to said first magnet intermediate the poles and having its other end disposed between said poles, a movable soft iron armature passing closely by the last named pole of said solenoid core and extending adjacent to the poles of said first magnet, contact members moyable with said armature, fixed contact members cooperating therewith, a divided current circuit havits terminal portions connected with sa1d fixed contacts and its intermediate portions connected with the rectified mains, the other side of the rectified main bein connected to said movable contacts, an

means for supplying alternating current of the same frequency and base-relation to said solenoid and to V said divided current circuit.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

i G. G. RUPREOHT. Witnesses:

Jos. Emmnns, Bn'rrm V. HERRING. 

